Storm of the Century by Stephen King Review

Storm of the Century is unique among King’s work in that it is actually a screenplay instead of an actual novel or collection of short fiction. Originally intended to coincide with the premiere of the television miniseries of the same name, Storm of the Century provides readers a look into a format that is completely different from King’s prose.

The story is that of the residents of Little Tall Island. Once again, King isolates his victims in the horror that is about to unfold as Little Tall braces for what the residents have begun to refer to as the “Storm of the Century.”

Of course, the storm will soon become the least of the Little Tall Islanders worries as the island is suddenly hit by a wave of violence that comes in the form of a newcomer by the name of Andre Linoge. Carrying a mysterious cane with him and having the ability to make the residents of Little Tall do things they’d never dream of doing such as sending an ax into one’s skull or murdering their boyfriend, it will soon become obvious to readers that this villain ranks right up there with It’s Pennywise and The Stand’s Randall Flagg.

Every story needs a hero and that hero might or might not be the town constable, Michael Anderson. Detaining Linoge, Michael quickly becomes aware of the fact that there is more to Linoge than just kitschy canes and a sinister smile. As the snow and wind bear down on Little Tall, it soon becomes Michael Anderson’s task to discover the truth behind Linoge and put a stop to his madness.

Though Storm of the Century is written for the screen and, as such, is in standard teleplay format, very few readers will have trouble diving into the story of Little Tall and the island’s ultimate fate. If anything, many readers might appreciate the brevity the format gives the story and its ability to let them get to the true meat of the story. Storm of the Century is classic King, a tale of isolation and desperation that will have readers clinching their fists in suspense until Storm’s climatic end.